Snr Ext Rel Officer

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Senior External Relations Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Senior External Relations Officer normally reports to the Representative or Deputy Representative. The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for External Relations staff.

External contacts are predominantly with partners, media, government, embassies and other international organizations in the country on matters of importance to the organization.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- UNHCR country Office provides necessary inputs (proposals, reports, etc.) for fund-raising purposes.
- UNHCR Country Office has a communications strategy that generates support for UNHCR's operations from external partners.
- External partners are informed regularly on all aspects of the protection and well-being of persons of concern and the status of UNHCR operations.
- Missions from Headquarters, donors, the press and media are well received and briefed.

Responsibility

- Stay abreast of the challenges posed by the political context, the UN and humanitarian reform, and institutional developments in the area of forced displacement and humanitarian operations.
- Through a consultative process with UNHCR colleagues (Programme, Protection, etc.) with external actors and partners, develop and implement protection and assistance strategy, with clearly articulated objectives, timelines and outputs.
- Implement a communications strategy that generates support for UNHCR's operations from external partners (e.g. the general public, governments, partners, the media, academia and persons of concern).
- Articulate all issues pertaining to the needs of the populations of concern and the  strategies in place to respond to their needs.
- Ensure that the UNHCR priorities are given adequate weight in the documentation of the UN Country Team.
- Maintain a close dialogue with and provide accurate information to donors by organizing regular briefings, bilateral meetings and donor missions. Prepare reports as appropriate.
- In accordance with the operational context and in close cooperation with headquarters, access new and non-traditional funding sources, as appropriate, including private sector and humanitarian pooled/basket funds (e.g. Central Emergency Response Fund, Human Security Fund).
- Through a consultative process with headquarters, disseminate information on UNHCR's global funding situation and mobilize additional funds to implement special projects aimed at enhancing the quality of protection for persons of concern in the country operation.
- Participate in inter-agency cooperation and communication strategies, initiatives and tools.
- Support senior management in representing UNHCR in the UN Country Team and other UN coordination fora.
- Support, and participate in, local UN integrated missions, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Cluster communication strategies and initiatives.
- Manage the information flow within the country operations by identifying priority matters, securing, analyzing and disseminating documentation and information to support country operations and corporate communication processes and priorities.
- Consolidate information on UNHCR's country operations and identify appropriate messages for campaigns and appeals.
- Coordinate the drafting of, and/or draft, situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, press releases and articles.
- Develop targeted communications strategies and media packages for situations and/or activities that require focused attention.
- Identify and target major events and initiatives (e.g. commercial, cultural, political and sports) to promote the work of UNHCR.
- Manage media relations by, inter alia, responding to direct queries, publishing press releases and organizing regular briefings and visits to country operations.

Authority

- Approve fund-aising messages.
- Approve any relevant expenditure for the implementation of fund-raising activities.
- Decide which donors to approach and which operations or activities to prioritize for special fundraising appeals.
- Approve the communications strategy.
- Approve budgets and expenditures for communications activities.
- Clear external relations/communication products and tools.
- Represent UNHCR fund-raising and communication priorities in inter-agency initiatives and fora.
    
ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's) in Political or Social Sciences, International Relations, Journalism or other related fields plus8 years of relevant work experience of which minimum of 5 years in International capacity. Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) plus 9 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 7 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.
- Highly developed drafting ability in working language of duty station.
- Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

- Working knowledge of another UN language depending on country of assignment.
- Communication skills.
- Good knowledge of UNHCR operations both at Headquarters and in the Field.
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Senior External Relations Officer positions. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates. C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
M005L3 - Leadership Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X007L3 - Political Awareness Level 3 <p>The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.</p>
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
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For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage them – before deciding to apply- to read the country specific security and welfare country profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care.

 

Staff after having applied to High Risk Duty Stations will have access to country specific information webinars with Field Safety Section (FSS) and Staff Welfare Section (SWS) colleagues and provided with a tool to test their psychological preparedness for serving in High Risk Duty Stations. Applicants who applied for a position in a High Risk country will receive, after the deadline for applications has expired, a joint invitation from the Staff Welfare Section (SWS) and the Field Safety Section (FSS) to participate in these webinars. During the Webinars, latest updates on security and well-being will be provided, and FSS and SWS will address questions raised by participants. Applicants are highly encouraged to benefit, when applicable, from all measures as they provide most up-to-date security and well-being information helpful to assess staff’s readiness to serve in a High Risk Duty Station. A Staff Welfare Officer will also be available, if and when required, to discuss with interested applicants the results of the psychological preparedness tool as well as readiness for assignment in High Risk Duty Stations.

 

-          communicating UNHCR¿s mandate, activities and strategic directions to a range of external audiences, including national and local government institutions, academic institutions, private sector partners, members of the National Assembly and the general public;
-          advancing UNHCR¿s donor relations strategy, including communication with government counterparts on UNHCR¿s implementation of Korean funded programmes and building the Korean government¿s confidence in UNHCR, with a view to advancing growth in Korean official contributions;
-          developing media/PI strategies in response to developments in public discourse around asylum and refugee issues;
-          management and team supervision, as the Snr External Relations officer will supervise a small team (currently four national staff) comprising ER, PI and DR staff.  The Snr External Relations officer will be the second most senior member of the Seoul team (after the Representative).   The Snr External Relations officer should also coordinate with PSP Korea on key areas of common interest.
-          public speaking and presenting, including giving media interviews, as the staff, especially international staff, in the UNHCR office in Seoul are often invited to give public speeches and presentations to a variety of audiences, including requests from media;
-          preparing for official missions of the High Commissioner and the Deputy High Commisioner; and
-          familiarity with UNHCR¿s approach to large humanitarian emergencies, particularly for engaging with Korean government and military counterparts in relation to preparedness for emergency response on the Korean peninsula.
The candidate should demonstrate a high degree of diplomatic and management skills given the unique responsibilities and context in South Korea.
-          Fluency in Korean language is highly desirable for the position, given the need to directly liaise extensively with external Korean counterparts. UNHCR has had an office in Seoul since 1999.  The office is focused on both private and public fundraising, increasing public understanding of UNHCRs work and of refugee and asylum issues, and advocacy to enhance protection of refugees in Korea, which has a relatively recently established asylum system, based on the Refugee Act of 2013.  

Korea¿s official contributions to UNHCR have grown significantly in the past 5 years, surpassing USD$20 million in 2016 with continued increase expected in the coming years.   A key objective of the UNHCR presence in Seoul is to see government contributions increase and to build the confidence of the Korean government in UNHCR¿s ability to deliver results in humanitarian and refugee protection operations.    Korean government contributions come from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and KOICA, and building the relationship with both of these partners is a key priority.The office in Seoul has a large and growing Private Sector Partnerships (PSP) section, which now has over 200,000 individual donors and raised over USD$37 million in 2017, which reports directly to PSP management, but which coordinates closely with other UNHCR units in Seoul. Korea is a highly economically developed country with a high standard of living.   Cost of living in Seoul is high ¿ comparable to Geneva and other HQ duty stations.   There is a wide variety of international schools.  Public transport in Seoul is excellent as is other public infrastructure.   Medical care is of very high standard and full range of medical specialists are available, although some may not be fluent in English.  Incheon airport is a global hub with direct flights to a wide variety of destinations in Asia, Europe and North America Despite occasional periods of heightened anxiety around hostility with North Korea, Seoul is categorized as Level 2 by UNDSS and is a safe, family duty station where many foreigners reside with their families, including staff of embassies, private companies and international organisations.    Seoul has a very low crime rate. NONE

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the September 2018 Compendium is Thursday 18 October  2018 (midnight Geneva time).